EalexB limited presents: a stunning compilation of exquisite dark poetry from the mind of Dr. Eric Alexander... "Gritty, Dark, & Powerful." Dr. Alex began the journey of this book in 1994 with his poem NoLove & completed the book with his 2005 NoLove revisited. EalexB's NoLove will truly make an exciting addition to your book collection or as the definitive coffee table browser. This book will definitely make the reader notice & contemplate aspects of life, living, & the afterlife. Love it or hate it, it is worth reading, dissecting, & discussing with peers!

There's an old saying that a great jazz musician never plays a song the same way once. That could certainly be said of Eric Alexander. One of the busiest players in jazz yet his playing is as imaginative as ever, with the ideas pouring out of his horn. His harmonic inventiveness is exceptional and he'll run the changes at such length at times that you wonder if he'll resolve everything in time and end up back on the beat but he always does. He has a big, full, sound, and a ferocious technique, with access to the full range of his instrument, all under super-human control. Both the Bird and the Sonny Rollins legacies have been thoroughly internalized but here Eric explores the repertoire of another school of tenor playing the Chicagoans. With long-time collaborators Harold Mabern, John Webber and Joe Farnsworth Eric gives the nod to some Windy City players who helped shape the sound of jazz for decades Eddie Harris, Von Freeman and others.

David Hazeltine's third Criss Cross release features him in the company of tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, bassist Dwayne Burno, and drummer Joe Farnsworth. The pianist contributes three originals, two of which, "Naccara" and "A Touch of Green," share a similarly spacious, hard bop-oriented harmonic layout. The third, "Blues Quarters," is a 16-bar minor blues. Its form can be divided into quarters (hence the title), a fact that becomes especially interesting during the "trading fours" rounds with the drummer. On this tune and on Charlie Parker's "Cheryl," Alexander's and Hazeltine's mastery of the bop-blues idiom is astonishing. The lightning-quick closing track, "What Are You Doing?," also highlights Alexander's talent as a writer. Of the standards on the record, the bright Latin rendition of "Cry Me a River" is novel, but "Milestones" and "Spring Is Here" don't really rise above the ordinary. On the whole, however, this is a strong offering from one of the most consistent straight-ahead pianists on the jazz scene. ~ David R. Adler